Brigham Younger Cougars place-kicker Jake Oldroyd (39) kicks an additional level as BYU and Baylor play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
School soccer groups typically decline to call a starter at a given place in an try and hold opponents guessing.
However maintaining the identification of a beginning discipline aim kicker beneath wraps? That’s a bit odd, and doesn’t carry a lot strategic worth, if any.
However No. 16 BYU is doing that this week because it prepares to fulfill Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
“Going to maintain that to myself, if that’s OK, till the sport. However I perceive the query, and the place you're coming from. It must be a contest and we've full confidence in Justen Smith.” — BYU particular groups coach Ed Lamb.
Particular groups coach Ed Lamb mentioned after Tuesday’s apply in Provo that he received’t reveal the identification of the Cougars’ discipline aim kicker in opposition to the Irish till kickoff time, which is 5:30 p.m. MDT.
“Going to maintain that to myself, if that’s OK, till the sport,” Lamb mentioned. “However I perceive the query, and the place you're coming from. It must be a contest and we've full confidence in Justen Smith.”
Smith is the backup from Brighton Excessive who has spent a lot of the previous few years watching beginning place-kicker Jake Oldroyd do his factor. Smith made his solely discipline aim try this 12 months, a 25-yarder in opposition to Wyoming.
Oldroyd is simply 5 of 10 and has missed 5 of his final six makes an attempt — all from lower than 40 yards — which is why the query was requested.
Later within the interview, Lamb was requested if he was averse to utilizing two kickers, maybe one for shorter makes an attempt and one other for longer tries. He didn’t give a definitive reply.
“As a coach, I have a look at it as, ‘What's our highest potential at any given second?’ And I've failed in that manner as a result of I believe that we will be hitting at the next clip than we're,” he mentioned. “And so clearly, like at any place, expertise is an enormous piece of that, and that's the factor I wish to begin with, and that's the place I wish to put most of my power. However ultimately we've to go along with those that ship probably the most typically, so we're going to discover that out.”
Smith, a walk-on, is 3 of 4 in his profession. He made a clutch kick within the opener in opposition to Arizona at Allegiant Stadium final 12 months when Oldroyd was ailing with a sore again that helped BYU beat the Wildcats 24-16.
Lamb has maintained via Oldroyd’s droop that his kickoffs have been effective and that he has the extra highly effective leg. The coach mentioned on his Coordinators’ Nook program Monday that Oldroyd “is a proficient kicker that's in a droop” and that Smith “deserves an opportunity to compete for that beginning spot proper now.”
Lamb mentioned that Oldroyd carried out properly in apply main as much as the Utah State recreation, however the fifth-year junior promptly missed two of three makes an attempt in opposition to the Aggies.
“Clearly the outcomes didn’t match what we'd need,” Lamb mentioned. “Jake is dissatisfied. For me, I simply don’t see the sport in that manner. I believe people who have performed sports activities would agree. I don’t suppose there's something the place there are magic phrases which might be going to repair this. ... I believe (the treatment) is sweet, old style work, surrounded by those who consider in you. And that's my objective, to proceed to consider in him.”
Malik Moore nonetheless on the mend
Lamb mentioned Monday that beginning free security Malik Moore, who missed the 38-26 win over Utah State with a hand harm suffered in opposition to Wyoming, may also miss Saturday’s showdown with the Combating Irish.
“He's not going to fairly be prepared this recreation,” Lamb mentioned. “I don’t know concerning the different (defensive gamers) but.”
Defensive linemen Gabe Summers, Josh Larsen and Blake Mangelson additionally missed the USU recreation with numerous, undisclosed accidents.
Lamb downplayed the possibility that Moore may play together with his hand closely wrapped, like a membership, saying he wouldn’t be at 100% and others corresponding to Talan Alfrey, Ethan Slade and Micah Harper stuffed in admirably final week in opposition to the Aggies.
Cougars on the air
No. 16 BYU (4-1) vs. Notre Dame (2-2)
Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MDT
Allegiant Stadium
Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: NBC
Radio: KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM